Words from Sundance Staffers: Jesse Dubus

I work in the Programming Department at SFFS and at the Berkeley Home Office of the Telluride Film Festival, among some other things.

Why did you decide to start working at SFF?

Last year I had a break in my schedule in January for the first time, and I decided to see what the fuss was all about. Honestly, attending Sundance was never a priority for me since my taste in films tends to run counter to the Festival’s strengths and programming tendencies. But, that said, as I’ve gotten to know the people who work most closely on the Festival, I’ve been impressed by their passion and integrity. I’ve come around to being able to really enjoy the Festival on its terms and not fret so much about what it isn’t…all right, taken on the whole, I can admit I love it!

If you have worked at SFF in previous years why do you return?

Sundance is the closest thing there is to getting all of my friends from various circles and locations together in the same place at the same time. It’s wonderful to be constantly running into good friends I haven’t seen for a while, or just seeing Bay Area friends in the context of the Festival. Everyday I seem to run into friends and colleagues I didn’t even realize were here!

What is your most cherished memory from previous festivals?

I’m not sure it’s the most cherished, but being summoned out of bed at midnight last year to help erect the behind-schedule Music Cafe tent the night before the Festival started was one of those crazy film festival nights that no one who was a part of will ever forget. We were exhausted, it was freezing and dark, and we were racing to put up a huge structure with creaky jacks and a long wooden beam that seemed ready to snap and take someone’s head off at any moment. But working on festivals you kind of feed off the crazy moments like those.

What film are you most looking forward to seeing at SFF?

Probably ODDSAC since I’m an Animal Collective nut. I find the New Frontiers section in general to be the most interesting in the program and probably the best expression of what the Festival tries to be. And every year New Frontier on Main is amazing both in concept and in execution. I’ve never seen anything like it at other film festivals and really wish I did.

If you’ve had a chance to preview any of the festival films, which ones are you recommending to friends?

I’ve seen a handful of titles through screening Telluride submissions and whatnot, but mainly I leave the recommendations to my friends who work long term for the Festival or who otherwise have access to screeners beforehand. I think having scouts whose opinions you trust goes a really long way towards making seeing films at this festival enjoyable.

How many films do you hope to see?

I’m shooting for 20 with my work and social schedule!

What are your strategies for selecting which films to see and getting into screenings?

More than any other festival I take the advice of friends and colleagues. My taste is on the adventurous side, and I don’t see the point of trying to see things that will be widely distributed soon, so the films I pick are typically easier to get into than titles with big names attached to them. And if I do get shut out, there’s always someone to get a drink with to pass the time!

How does SFF differ from other film festivals that you have attended or worked at?

The glorious snow! And, in general, the odd dynamic that comes from the Festival trying to serve emerging filmmakers and that slippery category of "independent" film while also delivering the glitz and sexiness that’s become expected of it.

If you have to choose between going to a film or a party how do you decide what to do?

This is probably the one festival I go to where time spent with friends takes precedent over seeing films. It’s fairly rare that there’s a Sundance film I want to see that I can’t catch up to later fairly easily, and, in any case, I can pretty much manage to see what I want to while also partying plenty.

How do you deal with the cold and altitude in Park City?

I’m a tough Pittsburgh boy, so this dry cold doesn’t faze me. And 7,000 feet is a cakewalk for someone who spends a month a year in Telluride!

Will you be back for next year?

We’ll see, but I definitely wouldn’t mind it!

Hilary Hart, who annually holds down the late-night shift at the Egyptian at the Sundance Film Festival, will be offering interviews with fellow workers from the San Francisco Bay Area during the course of the festival.